Post-op Visit (5 Weeks Post-Surgery)! and photos!

Hey Ya'll!

I had my fifth post-op visit today (one a week since surgery). Not too much has changed over the week. I'm scheduled for x-rays next week to see if my pinkie toe has healed. The big toe healed last week.

My scab on my pinkie came off the same day as my last post. I've been using Neosporin, Vitamin E oil, and a lotion by H20 that I love. I really think the Neosporin is making the most difference.

Today at my visit (and last week), my podiatrist used ultrasound to help break-up scar tissue. After, he really pushed my exercises! In fact, he pushed my big toe back so far, his thumb was cracking!! It was extremely painful, but it's over. Thank God! He told me to really push myself. I asked him if I needed to bend that much to walk normally and he said "No." If I knew how to make the angry smiley, I'd make that here....

Okay, so here are the photos!




I really want to have the pinkie toe on my right foot done now!

Not too shabby, eh?

Big toe close-ups (above). Pinkie close-ups (below).



So... I still wear my splint-aligner thingy, and I still wear my surgical shoe. Whatever.

Update next week!

~Michelle

Days 28-30/Post-op Visit #4 and Photos!

Hi!

I am soooo excited right now because I just had an AMAZING post-op visit!

The reason: It's been four weeks and one day since my surgery and the bone on my big toe side has HEALED!! Waaaahooo! This means I can start putting weight on the ball of my foot near that toe when I walk which is fantastic because it means I will be walking normally andddd movement in that area is very good to help break-up the scar tissue. (I finally learned today that the stiffness isn't due to the screw preventing me from my usual range, or from the bone refusing, but is instead due to scar tissue build-up)! So, the type(s) of creams you use isn't important; it's the stimulation of the area which breaks-up scar tissue andddd stimulates new cell growth to help with the incision scar.

I have some photos too! These are from Monday, Tuesday, and today (Wednesday):

This is from yesterday, after a bath (no soaking) and some Vitamin E oil.

This is my new "splint" from my three week post-op onward. I wear it about 23 hours/day. It makes me feel protected and like I'm maintaining my alignment.



This is a photo from Tuesday (yesterday) after picking at peeling skin. I might have gone a bit too far with this because some of my skin (where my old bunion was) feels a bit raw. I officially know what Sara was talking about now! And, now my skin is two different colors on my foot. I really can't wait to scrub all the dead skin away!!! No scrubbing, and no pedicures for several more weeks, though :( Though I can (and should) cut my toenails... not to mention - remove the little hairs growing on my first two toes!

My pinkie toe hasn't changed. It's not peeling at all, and you can still see the ink-mark from surgery day... This bone has yet to heal. To the right is my new x-ray! Big toe bone healed. Pinkie toe bone still needs work.

These final photos are from today. I used Neosporin on my incision yesterday after I picked the skin around the big-toe incision. I cannot believe what a difference one day of Neosporin made!!

So I guess that's all for now! I'm getting a handicap pass soon, thankfully. I have a winter class next Tuesday and walking around a huge campus is a bit much to ask. :)

Post-op Visit/Photos from Day 22!

Hi!

Here are the photos I promised! This was before I took a bath. I didn't put my foot in the bath, though. I just put water on my finger and tried to touch around the incisions. On that note, I think I've figured out what Sara was saying about "peeling:" I think the "glue stuff" starts to "peel" off a bit. It's not skin, though... for sure!




I can still see the pen-mark on this one....



Caesar! being Caesar :)

I can't wait to start using scar creams. I've also finally realized how many pillows I need for my foot to be elevated above my heart: 5 if I'm sitting up! And, the difference it makes is amazing! The swelling disappears in minutes!

Michelle

3 Weeks Post-op

Hi,

So it's been three weeks since surgery. My podiatrist said I can get my foot wet/shower tomorrow! He also said if I'd only had my Austin osteotomy done (big toe) that I'd be in normal shoes now, but since I had that AND the fifth metatarsal osteotomy done on the same foot, I can't wear normal shoes for at least a couple more weeks. Boooooo.

He definitely tortures me, though! All the bending is very, very painful. I asked if I needed to bend like this all the time to be able to walk again, and he only said, "You have to bend your toe every day." So, I think that means I'd be able to walk, but he just wants all of my range to return. ... Whatever.

I couldn't do the exercises last week because he made a splint with tape that made it almost impossible to move my toe. This week he removed the Ace-like bandage, the tape, the butterfly-like tape strips and actually took out three other stitches we didn't realize were there last week (two near my pinkie toe and one at my big toe). I'm now wearing a white sleeve and a matching mini sleeve/splint over my big toe. He said I don't have to have it on when I shower or do the exercises. He says everything is healing well. I still don't have any discoloration, but I do have some swelling still. I leave my foot up most of the day still. I'm very excited to sleep without anything on my foot tonight! I don't see how I can be normal in terms of healing, though, because even when he was torturing me, I couldn't bend very far at all. I will post a video, and some photos soon.... There is also a spot on my foot I cannot feel. He said that some of the nerves may be dealing with the scar tissue pressing on them there. It's a small spot to the left of my big toe, maybe a square centimeter in size. Overall, I think my foot looks ugly, but the shape is fabulous!

Okay, time to try and get my beagle to eat!

Michelle

Post-op Visit # 2 12/6/11

Hi,

So I went to my second post-op on Tuesday to have my ONE stitch removed. I was hoping to be allowed to get my foot wet afterwards, but I was told I need to wait one more week. I swear my podiatrist is extremely conservative/old school! I asked him if there was something wrong, and he said "Not at all. You have very little swelling and no bruising. Things look right on track." :( I'm sad I have another week to go to get it wet....

The visit was miserable. He bent my big toe back a lot! And it hurt... a lot!!! I started to sweat and got very, very dizzy, so I said, "I think I'm going to faint" and he put the chair back and a minute later I felt back to normal, but the visit sucked entirely! I am super disappointed. He even said that even though I can walk, I shouldn't be walking. :(

I only took one photo, and it looks identical to the one I took without my bandages on from my first post-op last week, so I don't see a point in putting it up. Like I said, totally disappointing visit, especially since I feel so much better now and can walk and everything....

Anyway, I'll do a new post next week, and I'm PRAYING he says, "Okay, you can get it wet" next week. !!! I did ask about using scar cream, and he said any lotion is fine - cocoa butter, shea butter, or vitamin E oil. I was thinking neosporin or maderma..... Vitamin E oil sounds good to me, though.

'tis all!

Michelle

Day 12

Hi!

I can walk! Limp... whatever you want to call it, I'm not hopping around and I don't need my crutches!!! This morning, I was determined to walk, and I did. First, I put weight on my left foot as I bent my knee, to see how that would go, and then I decided to limp on it, and my boyfriend suggested/reminded me to walk on my heel, and that helped!!

It still feels weird, and it's definitely uncomfortable, but the pain isn't that bad! The discomfort is coming more from the tape over the incisions being tight/pulled as I try to walk/stretch it and the tight ace-like bandaging than from actual pain I think. My foot is VERY ITCHY!! I want to itch it soooo bad! ... will have to wait until Tuesday, when the bandaging comes off, and I can finally get my foot wet again!!!

My plan for footwear then: I think I'm going to keep using this surgical shoe, or maybe a flip-flop because I want nothing rubbing on top of the incisions. Then again, that's not very protective and the surgical shoe is very light and covers the incisions for protection. It's supposed to be warm here next week: 50's and 60s, so I thought perhaps I could get away with comfy flips.... Any other suggestions? I'm worried that a sneaker is too snug still....

Anyway, just wanted to give the update!


Michelle

P.S. my visit is at 9:30 Tuesday morning, and then I have physical therapy so I probably won't get another update/photos in until later that afternoon. I'm so looking forward to getting it wet! I MUST remember to ask about scar creams too; I'm thinking Neosporin is a great way to go.